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Children’s Choice Nursery group sold for the first time
Specialist business property advisor, Christie & Co, has announced the sale of multi-award-winning Children’s Choice Nursery – a group of two day nursery settings located in Whitley Bay, Newcastle.
The Monkseaton setting was established in 2000 and has capacity for up to 100 children aged nought to five years. The nursery offers exceptional onsite facilities including a multi-sensory room, dance and yoga studio, garden allotment, performance stage area for children’s dramatics, and three stimulating outdoor play areas. The second nursery at Southridge First School, established around 2003, offers both day care and wraparound care with a combined capacity for up to 112 aged two to 10 years.
In the 20+ years that they have traded, both settings have built an enviable local reputation and are a popular choice with parents in both the immediate locality and surrounding towns. They also boast a plethora of accolades including Sure Start Awards, the national Outstanding Food award from the Children’s Food Trust, and Millie’s Mark award.
The business has now been purchased by Kids Planet.
Peter and Alex Thompson, founders of Children’s Choice Nursery, commented: “Our most important criteria, if any sale was to take place, was knowing our fantastic managers and teams would be secure in their roles and that our childcare settings would continue their high-quality childcare provision. From the moment Kids Planet expressed an interest and we met them, they were receptive and aligned to this, assuring us that all staff would be safe and welcomed. They clearly recognise the benefit of maintaining all the great things our settings already do. Kids Planet is family founded and operated, maintaining a personal touch despite being large – again very important to us. During this process we have been extremely impressed by the professionalism and approachability of the Kids Planet team. We feel safe in the knowledge we are leaving our wonderful team in very capable hands with a bright future. We would also like to thank Vicky from Christie & Co, she was outstanding and supported us throughout the whole process.”
Clare Roberts, founder and chief executive at Kids Planet, stated: “I am pleased to reveal that Children’s Choice is now part of Kids Planet. There is a strong alignment with Kids Planet’s own culture and focus, with their child-led approach and strong focus on wellbeing for both children and the team.”
Vicky Marsland, associate director – Childcare & Education at Christie & Co, who handled the sale, added: “It’s been a pleasure working with Peter and Alex through this process. Alex has almost 30 years of experience in childcare, which is clearly evidenced in what both nurseries have to offer today. She and Peter have built two truly wonderful nurseries with an excellent reputation within the local community and a strong ethos among their long-standing employees. This presented an excellent opportunity for Kids Planet, who were looking to expand their portfolio in the North East.”
Alex Robson of commercial law firm, Clarke Mairs, acted for the sellers.
Children’s Choice Nursery was sold for an undisclosed price.
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